


A letter signed "The Automaton, Scrt."

by Theflyinghamster



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Violet Evergarden (Anime)
Genre: (unless i really run out of ideas), Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Gen, M/M, Other, Violet Evergarden AU, dont know what al's doing, ed is violet, no violet evergarden characters will appear
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-03
Updated: 2018-08-06
Packaged: 2019-05-17 18:18:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14836775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Theflyinghamster/pseuds/Theflyinghamster
Summary: Edward is hardly human but he can write. He cannot feel, cannot think for himself but he will. All he needs is to understand what his Colonel said to him on those steps.





	1. This is a world where there are monsters

**Author's Note:**

> HiNA I BLAME YOU  
> ah what whoops  
> ANYWAYS i binge watched violet evergarden last night and wasd overcome by the possible comparison to FMA (WHICH IS GOOD I LOVE IT SO MUCH)  
> so. this happened.  
> title is taken from the fact that one of of automatons made by Henri Maillardet signed it's poems 'The Automaton, Scrt.' and well. It seemed fitting since the origin of the Auto Memories Dolls seems to lie in the automatons, though primarily the Writer of the Jaquet-Droz automata.  
> chapter title from Monsters by Dorothea Lasky

There is a boy laying on a bed. His hair is long and golden, his skin pallid grey. When his eyes open they reveal an identical shade to his eyes. He sits up and begins penning a report.

_Colonel Roy Mustang,_

_I have been in this hospital for 120 days. I am recovered. When will I return my post?_

_Edward._

His handwriting is sloppy but legible, all that is required for such a report. His hands are bandaged and shake while writing, still unused to their task. Before the boy, now known to be Edward, could prepare the letter to be sent a gush of wind sent the letter off on its own, never to reach its destination. Edward stares at the table that the paper had once rested on with a small furrow in his brow.

Inconvenient.

The silence of the early morning is broken when two people enter the hospital room. First, is a nurse who he couldn’t remember the name of, and second, a man he very much remembered the name of.

“Lieutenant Colonel Hughes.” Edward raises his right arm into a shaky salute before resuming speaking, “Is the Colonel here? Am I to be sent back into battle soon? Where is my brooch?”

Lieutenant Colonel Hughes seems to stall, as if he was an automaton, at the speed of his otherwise flat-toned questions.

“Okay, uh, from the top I guess. The Colonel…he isn’t here per se.”

“Is he alright? His wounds were quite severe. Will he be coming here soon?”

Once again Lieutenant Colonel Hughes blinks and seems of-put by his questioning. “He…he asked me to take care of you, but he won’t- “

“Am I under your command then Lieutenant Colonel?”

The Lieutenant Colonel mutters something about freaky focussed eyes under his breath before clearing his throat and speaking.

“The war is over Edward. You are no longer under anyone’s command.”

“I…don’t understand. I…” he trails off unsure of what to say. “The Colonel left me to you, so I am yours?”

“What? No- “

“Then please take me to the Colonel.” The Lieutenant Colonel seems to be frustrated.

“I can’t.

“Then please, get rid of me. I am the Colonel’s tool, if I am no longer needed I am to be discarded.” Something in the Lieutenant Colonel’s eyes spoke of pain, but he didn’t seem injured. “You never answered; is the Colonel okay?”

Once again, the Lieutenant Colonel froze.

“He’s…he asked me to take you in and that’s what I’ll do. Come with me, you’ll be living with my family. Oh, and I quit the military so just call me President! I’ve got my own company now. Anyways, you need to see my beautiful wife and daughter! This is- “ Edward tunes out the not- Lieutenant Colonel’s speech as he had heard it when they had met during the war.

So, the Colonel wasn’t coming for him yet.

Yet.

He could wait. He would. He had to. 

The Colonel had to come back for him.

After all, Edward was his property.


	2. they make a desolation and they call it peace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edward makes his way to the not-Lt. Colonel's home. He regrets it immediately.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHAT UP  
> uuuuhhhh uni happened and so did life  
> tldr my cousins of a near-same age have been undergoing treatment for a hereditary condition that causes bowel cancer and there's been complications and one's still in hospital. also a lifelong familiy friend is in pallative care with maybe 2 weeks left to live. I'm Not Going So Well.  
> BUT  
> i had like 99% of this written i just needed to finish it.  
> quote from Agricola by Tacitus.

The nurse hands Edward his things and he begins to search for his brooch. The brooch the Colonel gave him.  
“Where is it? Where is my brooch?” There is blood in Edward’s ears and he can only hear their denial of the brooch’s presence.  
“I need to find it.”  
“Edwa- “  
“It was a gift from the Colonel! I need it!” Hughes seems to pause at this, looking upon Edward’s new hand that he had grasped as Edward had made to look for his brooch.  
“I’ll look for it, promise. C’mon you’ve gotta come with me, Roy…uh the Colonel ordered it.”  
Edward glares at Hughes while tossing up his options. Well no, he doesn’t have one because even though it’s coming from Hughes’ mouth, it is the Colonel’s orders.  
“Fine. But you better find it.” Leaving the hospital seemed to have brought back the fire Edward remembers being inside him. Edward keeps this fire inside him, it’s the Colonel’s fire.  
Edward begins to limp towards to car, leg still weak but flesh. Flesh unlike his arms. The doctors had marvelled at the fact he’d been able to keep that leg. Edward just thought it was still inconvenient he could still walk but couldn’t hold onto the Colonel. He could still run but only alone.  
Edward didn’t want to run alone.  


Inside the car Edward spaces out. He doesn’t want Hughes and he doesn’t want the Colonel’s words coming from Hughes’ mouth.  
“When I am going to get orders from the Colonel again? My arms...”  
“Edward! As congratulations on your discharge from the hospital I got you well a toy. Couldn’t decide which one though, which one do you want?”  
“Don’t need one.”  
“Just take one please. I don’t know if my dear Elysia’s bed could handle three more plushies!”  
“Then the dog.”  
“Ok!”  
Taking the plushie Edward is overwhelmed by the desire to feel it. His hands though…oh! Edward brings the plushie to his face and yes, it is very soft. Way softer than anything they’d had at the barracks.  
“Why did you pick the dog anyway?” Hughes seems hesitant to ask.  
“The man who gave me to the Colonel said I was the Colonel’s dog.” It was warm, thinking that he belonged to the Colonel. “The Colonel once mentioned he found dogs very useful.”  
Hughes seems speechless at this and chuckles unnaturally. Whatever.  


“Ah. W-we’re here! Come you can meet my darling family! Elysia will be so glad to meet you she’s just the sweetest…” Tuning Hughes out once again Edward looked towards his new dwellings. A house. It looked…normal. He didn’t belong in such a place.  
The door to the house opens and a child comes spilling out and barrelling toward Hughes.  
“Daddy!”  
Oh no.  
Oh no no no.  
Edward cannot do children. It doesn’t work. Edward can deal with war, with guns, with superior officers.  
Not. Children.  
“Sir- don’t think I should-“ Edward starts before the child interrupts him, looking up at him with sparkling eyes.  
“Who are you?”  
“I-um…I’m Edwa…I’m Ed.” Oh god. This is going to be a disaster, isn’t it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> speaking of finishing it. that. was abrupt and i dont like it.  
> BUT ITS WHAT I GOT  
> like ed, i also cannot Children. ironic considering one of my classes this sem is child developmental psych.

**Author's Note:**

> SO THAT HAPPENED  
> uhhh i really don't have any plans for this yet so let me know what you think and what you feel should happen, I might take it into consideration! Especially what to do about Al and Winry.  
> also would anyone want an actual crossover fic bc i have one in my head.  
> follow me on twitter @aflyinghamster to peer into said head and watch me yell about enstars.


End file.
